Kelly L. Hensley

Kelly Hensley is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm’s Los Angeles office. She is the former Practice Group Leader of the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group, serving from 2004-2023. She specializes in labor and employment counseling and wage and hour matters.

Areas of Practice

Compliance Audits. Kelly regularly conducts wage-hour and HR-related compliance audits for companies of all sizes. She helps clients create compliance programs designed to meet state and federal requirements. 

Employment Counseling. Kelly regularly counsels employers in California and federal employment law, including employee hiring and discipline procedures, unfair competition matters, worker classification issues, leaves of absence, wage and hour law and employee severance and termination strategies. She has substantial expertise drafting employment agreements and policies such as employee handbooks, independent contractor agreements, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, sexual harassment policies, email and internet usage policies and employment-related forms.

Kelly advocates a proactive approach, counseling employers to evaluate their employment practices to minimize liability exposure. Her client-focused counsel is tailored to serve the long-term goals of each client.

Training and Investigations. Kelly frequently conducts training lectures and seminars on general human resources issues. She also assists with sexual harassment and other employment related investigations and implements effective employee discipline or exit strategies in response to those investigations. 

Employment Litigation. In addition to her counseling practice, Kelly regularly represents clients in wage-hour class actions and matters before administrative agencies.

Honors

Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2020-2025

Labor and Employment, Legal 500, 2015-2019, 2023-2024

Articles

Labor & Employment Law Blog Posts

• "Labor Commissioner Issues FAQs for Supplemental COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Law," March 29, 2021
• "U.S. Supreme Court Rules That Title VII’s Protections Extend to LGBTQ Employees," June 16, 2020
• "The City of Los Angeles Passes Worker Retention Ordinance for Certain Employers," May 12, 2020
• "Priority Hiring Required for Laid Off Workers of Covered Employers in Los Angeles," May 7, 2020
• "Los Angeles County Enacts Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Effective Immediately," May 7, 2020
• "The City of Los Angeles Mandates Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Effective Immediately," April 8, 2020
• "Employee Privacy Forecast: Temperature Checks," March 25, 2020
• "California Issues Guidance on Conditional Suspension of California WARN Act Notice Requirements," March 24, 2020
• "Massachusetts Statewide Essential Services and Revised Gathering Order: What Employers Need to Know," March 24, 2020
• "Ohio’s Statewide Stay At Home Order: What Employers Need to Know," March 24, 2020
• "Employers Must Consider the ADA and Other Disability Laws When Confronted With a Pandemic," March 13, 2020

• "What Employers Need To Know To Prepare For Coronavirus," March 2, 2020

• "Deadline for Compliance with New EEO-1 Form Stayed Indefinitely," August 31, 2017 
• "Ramirez v. Dependable Highway Express: The Reasonable Accommodation of an Employee’s Family," May 10, 2016
• "California's Computer-Related Exemption Is Modified", November 9, 2007

Corporate Securities Law Blog Posts

• "Employer That Reviewed Text Messages Violated Employee's Right To Privacy", September 8, 2008

Newsletters

• Co-author, California Labor and Employment Alert Newsletter 

Media Mentions

Speaking Engagements

• Kelly has lectured throughout California and the nation on topics that include wage and hour law, discrimination issues, wrongful termination and sexual harassment.

Events

Memberships

• Member, Labor Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association

Digital Media